Editorial November 1, 1922 Issue

Church Membership

Ella W. Hoag

To become a valuable member of any organization is always to assume a certain responsibility, since membership means the agreement not only to sustain and support the object for which the organization is formed, but also to enter, willingly and whole-heartedly, into active work for the advancement of all its varied purposes and aims. Then it goes without saying that before uniting with an organization one should be fully aware not only of its purposes and aims, but also of one's own desire and intention to fulfill all the demands which such association would involve.

When one approaches membership in the Church of Christ, Scientist, he is coming face to face with a decision of deepest import. He is being called upon to decide as to whether he will unite all his efforts with those who are endeavoring to establish God's kingdom on earth in the way Christian Science points out, or whether he will remain outside the Christian Science church organization, and thus throw in his lot with the multitudes who either are drifting along without chart or compass or at best are but clinging to something less than the perfect Science of Being.

In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 35) our Leader says: "Our church is built on the divine Principle, Love. We can unite with this church only as we are new-born of Spirit, as we reach the Life which is Truth and the Truth which is Life by bringing forth the fruits of Love,—casting out error and healing the sick." As the student of Christian Science contemplates membership with this church, he is apt to be confronted with various mental arguments. At this stage in his progress Spiritward, he is prone to believe that he is not yet fit to enter into fellowship with those who are demonstrating a somewhat greater ability to prove the power of Truth over error than he thinks he has born attained. Then the demand that one must be "newborn of Spirit" also confronts him, and he wonders if he has yet reached that happy condition.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

Among the Churches